The present invention relates to a sorter connection apparatus for connecting a copying machine to a sorter, for feeding copying sheets discharged from the copying machine into the sorter.
Conventionally, when the sheet discharge outlet of a copying machine is positioned at a different level from that of the sheet inlet of a sorter and accordingly sheets cannot be directly fed into the sorter from the copying machine, a connection apparatus attached to the sorter, capable of feeding sheets into the sorter from the copying machine, is employed.
A conventional sorter connection apparatus of the above-mentioned type is disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent application Ser. No. 53-33724. The sorter connection apparatus is provided with a bridge portion comprising pulleys and sheet transportation belts. That sorter connection apparatus, however, has shortcomings, such as being over-sized and complex in mechanism. Moreover, jammed sheets cannot always be removed safely if it is done when the sheet transfer belts are driven.